DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government's one-stop website for people with disabilities,
their families, educators, employers, veterans, workforce professionals and many others. The
website was created by the Bush Administration "in order to connect people with
disabilities to the information and resources they need to actively participate in the workforce
and in their communities."

DisabilityInfo.gov has a simple navigation structure that will help you find resources and
links in nine subject areas: Employment, Education, Housing, Transportation, Health, Benefits,
Technology, Community Life, and Civil Rights.

The list is extensive. Under "Housing," for example, there are 11
subcategories with links to both government and non-government resources:

Under "Employment," there are 20 subcategories, each with links to
numerous websites of interest to jobseekers and employers. The remaining categories are equally
rich.

If you or a family member is living with a disability, or if you are in
a related professional field or doing research,
DisabilityInfo.gov is a great place to start your searches for the Web-based resources you need.
DisabilityInfo.gov is managed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment
Policy, in partnership with 20 other federal agencies.

For regional information about human service agencies and organizations
in the Southern Tier, see the Institute for Human Services Human Service Directory at the
Reference Desk or click
here.

ART: For an active, enjoyable regional cultural outing, follow
the Watkins Glen Art Trail on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday May 6. Artist studios and
galleries will open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and noon to 5 pm on Sunday. Road
and street signs will help guide you to nine locations throughout Schuyler County. You can print
out an art trail map from The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes website at
www.earts.org.

NATURE: The Three Rivers Outing Club organizes friendly,
energetic hikes throughout the region. This Saturday, April 28, the club will hike the Golden Eagle Trail in the
Grand Canyon of PA area. "This is a strenuous nine mile hike with beautiful views, mountain
streams and waterfalls. Be prepared with waterproof hiking boots, water, and a lunch. Call (607)
776-1685 for meeting time and place."

On Sunday, May 6, the club will hike at Tanglewood Nature
Center/Gleason Meadows, meeting at 1:30 pm. Call (607) 962-5822 to learn more about this 6-mile
hike.

Many other hikes are scheduled through October, 2007. For general
information about the Three Rivers Outing Club, call (607) 962-5157.

Do you know what your child will be doing this summer? Summer vacation
is just around the corner. To help you plan your child's summer, area agencies and nonprofit
organizations offering free summer events & programs are getting together in one location, the
Corning Family YMCA gymnasium, to introduce you and your children to exciting summer
opportunities.

Come to the Corning Family Y on Friday, May 4 from 6 pm to 8, or
Saturday, May 5 from 10 am to noon to learn more about Spectacular Summers in the greater
Corning area. Enjoy free food, live music and a multi-media presentation while you explore
opportunities for summer fun and discovery offered by the following groups:

Southeast Steuben County Library (That's us!)
Girl Scouts - Seven Lakes Council
Keuka Yacht Club Jr. Sailing School
171 Cedar Arts Center
Corning Family YMCA
Salvation Army
Pathways Kids Adventure Club
Corning Area Youth Center (Family Service Society)
The Corning Museum of Glass & the Rakow Research Library
Corning-Painted Post Area School District
Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center
The Rockwell Museum of Western Art
City of Corning Dept. of Parks & Recreation
Town of Corning Parks Program
Corning Christian Academy
& more!

Children will be able to decorate their own cupcake, draw on
chalkboards and participate in other activities while parents and caregivers learn about great
summer programs for children and teenagers.

For more information about this event, sponsored by the Corning Area
Summer Collaborative and its participating organizations, call Andrea Knowles-Skowvron at (607)
962-7600.

Children's Outreach Specialist Sue McConnell wants everyone to know
that this week, April 23-29, is
TV Turnoff Week.
You'd think with all the technological advances in the past two decades including proliferation
of cell phones, ubiquitous computers and high speed internet access, social networking and such,
that people would be plugged-in in so many ways that television might just fade away. Think
again.

In the average U.S. household of 2.55 persons there are 2.73 television
sets. According to the
Center for Screen Time Awareness, "We are a society of more televisions than people!"

The average American home has the television on for longer than eight
hours a day, an hour more than we did 10 years ago.

Television is the monster that just won't die. It won't even sleep.
Teenage girls, for example, have dramatically increased their television viewing late at night
and early in the morning.

TV isn't only a 24/7 pastime, it's a cradle to grave nightmare.
According to a 1994 New York Times article quoted by the Center for Screen Awareness, 70%
of daycare centers use television during a typical day. One in four children under the age of 2
has a television in the bedroom. Excessive television watching has been linked to attention
deficit disorders and obesity.

There are plenty of other frightening statistics available. Click on
the underlined links above if you want a good scare. Then, forget about the statistics and use
some common sense: Turn off your TVs. (All of them.) Wake up. Get a life. Reality isn't so boring
as it seems. Give your mind some space to think on its own. Enjoy the sunshine. Get some
exercise. Have a party.

Library Volunteer Coordinator Kathleen
Richardson, left, talks with a prospective recruit during the 300 Nasser Civic Center Open House
last week. Seated, Rose Mary Greninger was on hand at the Library Volunteers display table to
answer questions.

April 23, 2007

Volunteers:

They are key service providers

Here at the Library volunteers play important roles, helping us deliver the services patrons require. Without the dozens of active volunteers - teenagers to age
60 plus - who work in Circulation, shelve and repair books, assist in the Reference Department,
enliven our Children's Department programs, process new books, tend our flowers, recycle our
paper waste and help put smiles on our faces, we wouldn't be able to maintain the high standards
of service you have come to expect.

The same is true for the many human service organization and nonprofit
groups here at 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza in Corning. Volunteers play critical roles at each
of the organizations participating in last week's Open House.

For example, volunteers serve as mediators at the Center for Dispute
Settlement (Suite 232; 607-962-4742), which helps resolve problems outside of the courts, at
little or no cost to participants. Case Manager Ron Beuter and Program Manager Angie Whitfield
said the Rochester-based program offers training to volunteer mediators and has offices in
Hornell, Bath and Corning (above the Library). Learn more at
www.cdsadr.org.

Volunteers serve as advocates for children through CASA of the Southern
Tier, Inc. (607) 936-CASA. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Volunteers take on
only one or two cases at once, so they have the time and energy to learn about a child's needs and
environment and provide that information to the Family Court involved. Go to
www.casasoutherntier.org to learn more.

Volunteers at Faith in Action, Steuben County serve the frail elderly
with friendly visits, transportation, help with errands, respite for family members who are
caregivers, meal preparation, light housekeeping and other services. Faith in Action volunteer
John Gruczkowski urged those interested in volunteering to call (607) 324-1138.

Other participating organizations included United Way of the
Southern Tier, Steuben ARC, Catholic Charities of Steuben County, the Nonnie
Hood Parent Resource Center and Health Ministry of the Southern Tier.

Thursday, April 19 was 300 Nasser Civic Center's official Open House,
but our doors are always open here, at the Southeast Steuben County Library and at the nonprofit
organizations upstairs. Volunteers keep our doors open, throughout the building.

GOOD LISTENER: Trained dogs from Therapy Dogs International,
Inc. entertained children in the Laura Beer Community Room yesterday while helping them learn to enjoy reading aloud. Reading with Rover was a special program hosted by the Children's Department.

If your credit card is stolen and used to make unauthorized purchases,
what is the maximum amount you are responsible to pay?

a) $0.00?

b) $50?

c) $100?

d) $500?

e) $ - The full amount charged?

Not sure of the answer? Then you will benefit by taking the Money 20
Interactive Quiz at
www.MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government's website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics
about financial education. The quiz consists of 20 questions that test basic financial literacy.
The point isn't to get a high score. Answers are accompanied by hyperlinks to resources that will
give you what you need to know to avoid common financial pitfalls and fraud schemes, provide
sound retirement planning guidelines and help you balance your checkbook.

Even if you don't enjoy taking tests, you will benefit from links to 20
government agencies and resources in 14 subject areas related to personal financial management at
all income levels. Subject areas covered include: Budgeting & Taxes; Credit; Financial Planning;
Home Ownership; Kids; Paying for Education; Privacy, Fraud & Scams; Responding To Life
Events; Retirement Planning; Saving & Investing; Starting a Small Business; and Financial
Education Grants.

Resources are available in English and Spanish. A list of member
agencies is provided. Click on the underlined link in the first paragraph to visit the website.

For other personal financial links, see our October 30, 2006 article.
Click here.

Oh, yes. The answer to the question is $50. This is the maximum amount
U.S. credit card holders are responsible to pay for unauthorized purchases from stolen credit
cards. Report stolen credit cards promptly.

If judging solely by yesterday's snow, sleet, rain, slush and high
winds, you might think it was late December, not early spring. Take heart, Southern Tier. The
snow is all but gone and close examination of bushes, shrubs and trees gives us ample reason to
anticipate seasonal change: spring buds.

There is more good news about spring. It
is time for the Friends of the
Library Spring Book Sale. Most items at the sale, which opens to the
general public on Sunday, April 22, are priced from 75 cents to $3, excluding
specials. Select from thousands of hard cover books, paperbacks, CDs, videos, puzzles, records, books-on-tape, games and more,
arranged for easy browsing by Friends of the Library volunteers.

Proceeds from the sale benefit the Southeast Steuben County Library.
(Earlier this year, The Friends of the Library donated $35,000 to us, based on proceeds from last
year's sales.)

Here is the schedule:

Sale Preview: On Saturday, April 21
from 9 am to 4 pm, the sale is for Friends of the Library, SSC
members only. If you just can't wait, you don't have to sneak in. You
can become a member at the door.

All are welcome starting Sunday, April 22
from 1 pm to 4, when books are sold at the marked price.

On Monday, April 23 from 9 am to 7:30 pm, books
are sold at the marked price. On Tuesday from 9 am to 7:30 pm, books are
20 percent off; Wednesday from 9 am to 7:30 pm, 40% off;
Thursday from 9 am to 7:30 pm, 60% off; Friday from 9 am to 5 pm,
80% off. Bring your bags or boxes on Saturday, April 28, when the
book sale is open from 9 am to 3 pm.

The East Corning Fire Hall is located on Route
352 (East Corning Road) between exits 47 & 48 of I-86, adjacent to
Corning Animal Hospital.

APRIL SHOWERS: Heavy, wet snow clings to
branches in front of 171 Cedar Arts Center, Bruce House, Corning, NY this morning in what most of us hope to
be the last picturesque snow scene of the season. Strong winds and dangerous traveling conditions
forced closure of the Library today.

Learn how to use a Windows-based computer here. Attend our free series
of basic computer classes, starting Monday, May 14. Class is held every other week from 3 pm to 5
through August 7. There is no class on Memorial Day, May 28. Call the Reference Department at
(607) 936-3713 ext. 502 to sign up or for additional information.

If you know how to use a PC or Mac and want to master word processing,
attend our Microsoft Word series. Classes begin Wednesday, May 2 and run through July 11. There are six sessions.
Classes meet every other week from 10:30 am to noon. The fee is $15 for the series. (607)
936-3713 ext. 502

Grants for nonprofits

Our series of grants-writing workshops for nonprofit organizations
continues this summer and early fall. These classes are made possible through the generous support of the Elmira-Corning Community Foundation.

Sound Bite Marketing ... in 10 Words or Less will be held on
August 14, 2007 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 at Three Rivers Development Corp.; 114 Pine Street in
Corning.

Strategic Planning: Creating Your Organization’s Road Map, will
be held on September 11, 2007 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 at Three Rivers Development Corp.; 114
Pine Street in Corning.

TAKE THREE: Rich Preston on trumpet, Brett
Holton on bass and Mark Woodhouse on drums performed a children's concert featuring jazz
standards at the Library today.

April 11, 2007

Upbeat mix: Jazz & kids

Children and their families learned all about jazz while listening to
standards played by Take Three, a local trio, at Jazz Picnic! in the Laura Beer Community
Room today. The lunchtime event celebrated Jazz Month and was sponsored by the Friends of the
Library.

In between numbers, trio members explained how jazz music is structured
- and improvised. Children learned about instruments often used in jazz, and some were inspired
to dance in the spaces between picnic blankets.

Take Three has been playing together for about six years, the musicians
said. The group was particularly suited for this event because off-stage, its members are
educators.

Drummer Mark Woodhouse, for example, is the Head of Technical Services,
College Archivist and Mark Twain Archivist at Elmira College.

Southeast Steuben County Library volunteers learned how to steam meat
and vegetables during a cooking demonstration today courtesy Wegmans - Corning. Menu Coach Brenda
Criss (above), ably assisted by Prepared Foods Technician Christy McConnell, made Steamed
Vegetables with Stir-Fry Sauce and Meatballs with Green Beans for volunteers who
signed up for the event, held in the Laura Beer Community Room.

Chef
Brenda used a traditional bamboo steamer for the first part of the class. She noted the benefits
of steam cooking include healthy eating, fresh foods and quick preparation times. Volunteers who
sampled what was made noticed another benefit: great flavor.

One of the most important steps in steam cooking is Mise en place,
the preparation before actual cooking begins, Chef Brenda emphasized.

The
event was organized by Volunteer Coordinator Kathleen Richardson in cooperation with Wegmans -
Corning and was one of the ways we say "thank you" to our volunteers.

Visit
www.Wegmans.com for
an assortment of recipes and other cooking and nutritional information.

For a printable version of the Wegmans recipe for Steamed Vegetables
with Stir-Fry Sauce,
click here.

Southeast Steuben County Library volunteer Louise Bush
(left) and Corning
Museum of Glass curator Jane Spillman were among the last passengers rescued from the Greek
cruise ship Sea Diamond before it sank in the eastern Aegean Sea on April 5.

Bush, a Painted Post resident, and East Corning resident Spillman lost
their luggage but not their lives when the ship ran aground off the coast of the island of
Santorini. 1,200 passengers were evacuated before the ship sank, according to reports. Two French
citizens were reported missing.

Here is Louise Bush's first-hand account of the accident and rescue:

"We were up in the prow inside, when we heard a loud scraping thump. I
thought it was the anchors dropping, but shortly all the glassware started to slide off the bar
behind us, and we became aware of a definite tilt," wrote Bush in an April 8 email to her
husband, Ed and family.

"Soon they announced all crew to meet on level 2, and after awhile
announced that crews were closing the water-tight doors. By then the list was getting quite
obvious, and we knew we were in trouble. Everyone moved to a lobby area near the stairwell, but
by then [we] were not allowed to go down the stairs to our cabin on the 4th level. Crew kept
dashing up and down stairs, and some people came up to our level looking for family members.

"Mostly everyone was calm and mystified about what was happening.
There
were two girls about 13 who began to get a bit hysterical as their mothers weren't with them -
but an adult they knew was trying to keep them calm. All power was off and it became pretty hot
as we stood around waiting to find out what to do. They kept announcing we should go as far up on
the port side as possible and stay put and keep calm. By then it was somewhat hard to walk around
for the listing, so we sat and waited. We could see out the window all these various ships -
fishing boats, a clipper type sailboat, another cruise ship smaller than others, various tenders,
etc. who were gathering around, and you could see all the villagers way up on the cliffs watching
us.

"One small ferry came and took off people from the 3rd level - these
people were climbing down rope ladders. The lifeboats on the port side had been lowered but
there were only three of them... Anyway, this group we were in [was] the last to be taken off. We
were about 70 people and we just waited for well over an hour, while watching out the window as
others were taken off. Many of us didn't have life jackets as they were in the cabins, but the
crew began pulling them out of cabins and rushing upstairs to pass them out. That was a relief
when we got ours. Finally we were pressed and urged downstairs to the 3rd level in the dark,
holding on to the strap of the person in front of us. Probably that was the most frightening
time... we didn't know if water was coming in on the 3rd level and ... we might be trapped.

"At the opening they peeled us off in no particular order, some to go
over and climb out another opening & down ladders, some to head onto a ladder onto a large ferry
that had finally appeared, and we were pushed in the line to go down the rear end of the ferry,
sliding down on some mattresses that the crew had hauled out. The men helped get you started and
off you went, down into the ferry. The ferry held six or seven hundred people, I was told, very
stable, and finally after everyone except crew members [was aboard] we took off for the shore."

After enduring scenes of chaos on shore, where families separated in
the evacuation struggled to reunite, and the loss of their luggage when the ship sank, Bush and Spillman decided to continue their tour. The travelers expected to visit Delphi earlier today.

"Jane and I think that now that we've been through the flood of 1972
and ... this, that we've had our share of big adventures... No more,
please."

America is a consumer society. - It's a catch phrase with some truth in
it, but one which must irk many of us in the Southern Tier of New York, where our economy is
driven largely by manufacturing, research & development and agriculture. That being said, even
where we are "producers," we are also "consumers." As
Earth Day
2007 approaches, it is a good time to take a look at some consumer resources that may help us
choose products that pollute less and create less
waste.

Recently, the Southeast Steuben County Library acquired The Rough
Guide to Shopping with a Conscience (Clark & Unterberger), a book that discusses issues
consumers need to know if they want to make ecologically and socially responsible choices with
regard to the products they buy. This book outlines five approaches to "ethical consumerism" and
directs readers to resources that will help them learn more about the issues covered. It will be
available soon in our collection. The Library does not advocate specific choices or social values
discussed in this book. We do advocate being an informed consumer.

To that end, and with Earth Day in mind, here are a few internet
resources that help consumers select products that minimize waste, pollution and global warming:

Participants are sought for tonight's Candle Light Vigil and Speak Out
honoring
Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The event is sponsored by Rape Crisis of the Southern Tier.
The vigil will take place from 8 pm to 9 at Wisner Park on Main Street in Elmira, even if there
is snow. All are welcome.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one
in six women and one in 33 men in the United States have been victims of rape or attempted rape
during their lifetimes and eight out of 10 victims knew their perpetrators.

"Rape is one of the most underreported crimes, making it difficult to
accurately count the number of cases.
The National Women's Study
documented that 84% of women in their sample did not report their rapes to the police," according
to the CDC.

Do
you love to read and discuss books? Come to the Southeast Steuben County Library at noon on
Thursday, April 26 to get in at the start of our newest discussion group: The Brown Bag Book
Club.

Unlike formal book clubs, there is no set reading list. Just bring your
lunch and get ready to share your literary insights with others. The group will meet every other week
from noon to 1 pm. For more information call the Reference Department at (607) 936-3713 ext 502.

Southeast Steuben County Library Volunteer Michael Lombard, 13, plays
an important role here when many others his age are ... well, just playing. A volunteer
since 2005, Michael spends many of his days off from school, including most weekdays during the
summer, assisting in the Children's Department and other areas in the Library. He started out
bringing in books from the overnight book drop, checking in books on the computer - he is a
technophile with style and flair - and writing out "add" slips for new acquisitions.

Michael's mild manner, candor and positive attitude were noticed by
talent scouts in the Children's Department early on, and his abilities were enlisted in a variety
of tasks, from covering the desk when needed, to playing special roles in Story Time and
Children's Outreach programs. (This year, for example, Michael played the groundhog in our
Groundhog Day children's programs.)

A "reading junkie," Michael said he enjoys science fiction and fantasy.
Two of his favorite authors are Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill. His current favorite book
is Eragon by Christopher Paolini.

Michael enjoys games, communicating on MySpace.com, and
interacting with children. He is also interested in Ceramics. A resident of the Town of Erin,
Michael attends Horseheads Middle School and aspires to work for Corning Inc.

He has two messages for children and young adults:

"Hugs, not drugs!"

"Stay in school!"

Here at the Library, we know that Michael follows his own advice, and
we are glad he does. Moreover, we are glad he shares his spare time with us.

From all of us at the Library, "Thanks, Michael! You help us deliver
awesome service to children and the general public. We wouldn't be the same without you!"

Children learned about turtles and other animals that hatch
at the Library yesterday. Top, left, animal handler Claudia Minotti of the Corning Parks and
Recreation Department and one of her special guests, a box turtle, gave children the opportunity
to interact with strange creatures normally found in the wild. The Library's Children's Outreach
Specialist, Sue McConnell, explained more about animals that hatch from eggs (bottom). The event
was the first of a two-part program.
Click here to learn more.

Southern Tier Library System (STLS) is offering three legal workshops
for grandparents raising grandchildren and other kin caregivers.

STLS received a Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP) grant from the
Brookdale
Foundation and is partnering with three local Office for the Aging sites (Allegany, Schuyler,
and Steuben) to provide important information for anyone raising a relative's child or children.

The presentations feature William T. Graham, Asst. Counsel from the New
York State Office for Aging in Albany. Mr. Graham will discuss current legal issues such as
physical custody, legal custody, standby guardianship, and other legal issues affecting
grandparents raising grandchildren and other kin caregivers. Library staff from Bath, Belmont,
Watkins Glen, Wellsville and the Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning will be present at
the workshops to showcase the various resources available to kin caregivers through local
libraries.